residential street sweeping season starting Friday, 03-01-2013

Parking
restrictions will be enforced to allow sweepers to work effectively.

(Washington,
DC) The 2013 residential street sweeping
season begins Friday, March 1, announced the DC Department of Public Works
today. Signs are posted that identify
the days of the week and hours of the day when parking restrictions will be
enforced so the sweepers can clean the streets effectively. Parking enforcement of residential sweeping
violations will begin Monday, March 11, to give motorists a few days to get
used to the parking restrictions.

“The
residential street sweeping program is among our most successful operations to
keep DC streets clean,” said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. “We have expanded it over the years to
accommodate more and more residents willing to move their cars to allow the
sweepers access to the curb lane where debris and pollutants collect. We also want to make sure commuters and
visitors are aware that the parking restriction applies to all motorists and a
$30 ticket can be issued for violating the restriction.”

Mr.
Howland noted that beginning in 2012, DPW established March 1 through October
31 as residential street sweeping season and this information appears on the
signs posted where the program is in effect.

He
cautioned motorists to avoid parking along sweeping routes before that day’s
restriction ends. “A supervisor follows
behind the sweeper and may require the block to be swept again, so no one
should park until the end of the posted sweeping period,” he said.

Beginning
March 11, parked cars also may be towed to allow the sweepers access to the
curbside. Generally, parking is prohibited for two hours while sweeping is
underway.

DPW
street sweepers cover about 4,000 lane miles monthly, removing litter and
pollutants by brushing them onto a conveyor system, which transports the
material into a debris hopper. The sweeper also emits a fine spray of water to
help control dust. In addition to
sweeping residential streets during spring, summer and fall, DPW also sweeps
commercial streets overnight year-round, and parking restrictions also apply.